September 14, 2026 Express Entry PNP Draw: 576 ITAs at CRS 734

IRCC has posted a new Provincial Nominee Program round. On its rounds of invitations page and the ministerial instructions list, last refreshed September 14, 2026, the latest set is invitation 442. The round ran on September 14, 2026 at 10:26:01 UTC. The department issued 576 invitations. The Comprehensive Ranking System score of the lowest-ranked candidate invited was 734. Rank needed was 576 or above.

The tie-breaking rule is August 29, 2026 at 21:39:50 UTC. If more than one nominee sat at 734, only those who submitted their Express Entry profile on or before that timestamp were invited.

This is not a new program. It is a program-specific PNP round. The change that matters for you is the cutoff, not the nomination rules themselves. The August 31 PNP round invited 562 people at CRS 697. Today's cutoff is 37 points higher. Volume moved only slightly, from 562 to 576.

Draw results at a glance

Official IRCC figures for this round:

Compare that with the three previous PNP-only rounds already on IRCC's list:

The August 31 cutoff of 697 was the softest PNP line in this stretch. Today's 734 sits between that low and the mid-760s from mid-August. Do not treat 734 as a standing target. The next PNP round can move either way depending on how many new nominations enter the pool.

This round sits after the September 1 CEC draw, the September 3 physicians draw, and the September 4 healthcare draw. Those instructions did not apply here. Only candidates with a valid provincial or territorial nomination in their Express Entry profile were in scope.

Why the cutoff sits above 700

A provincial or territorial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Most invited scores in a PNP-only round are nomination points plus a human-capital remainder. A 734 cutoff means the lowest invited nominee had about 134 points besides the nomination. That remainder still has to hold on language, age, education, and skilled work.

IRCC's Express Entry PNP page is clear: you must accept the nomination in your profile before you can be invited in a PNP-specific round. A paper nomination that is not attached to the profile does not count.

If you received an ITA

IRCC's apply for permanent residence page states that an invitation is valid for 60 days only. The PNP Express Entry process page says the same: 60 calendar days to apply online.

1. Sign in to your IRCC account and start the permanent residence application immediately.
2. Confirm the nomination still appears on the profile that was invited.
3. Confirm that language tests, work letters, and any Educational Credential Assessment still match that profile.
4. Book police certificates and a medical exam with a panel physician early.
5. Recalculate your CRS if anything has changed. IRCC says that if your recalculated score is below the lowest score in your round, you should decline the invitation.
6. Support every claimed fact. Inconsistencies are a common reason for delay or refusal.

An ITA is not an approval. The nomination does not replace medical or criminality screening.

If you hold a nomination but were not invited

Check three things against the official instructions, not against a tracker:

• Is the nomination accepted in the live Express Entry profile?
• Is your CRS at or above 734?
• Was the profile submitted on or before August 29, 2026 at 21:39:50 UTC if you sat exactly at 734?

If the nomination is recent and the score is below 734, stay in the pool. Future PNP rounds have used both lower and higher lines this summer. Keep language results and the job details current. An expired test or a title mismatch can drop you out of a round you would otherwise have entered.

If you do not have a nomination

This draw does not change CEC, French-language, or occupation-category cutoffs. Those run on separate ministerial instructions. A nomination remains the most reliable way to clear a PNP-only round because of the 600-point boost.

Ontario's Workforce Priority Stream and other provincial portals remain the usual route to that boost. Meet the current provincial criteria before you file for nomination. See our OINP employer portal explainer.

The September 1 CEC post mentions the August 31 PNP round only as context. It does not cover today's 576 invitations or the 734 cutoff.

If you want a structured review of a nomination, CRS, or a complete application after an ITA, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or the work permit service page.

This article is general information current to September 14, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live round on Canada.ca before you act.